As wildfires continue to blaze across Los Angeles County, authorities are sounding the alarm on another potential threat to the public: scams relating to the disaster.
Multiple law enforcement officials have warned of bad actors scheming to take advantage of charitable people looking to chip in and give to those in need due to the fires.
“We have people with big hearts who want to help, they want to donate, they want to support the victims,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a press conference Saturday. “We also see scammers who are taking advantage of that goodness and that generosity and scamming and defrauding those individuals.”
Bonta urged the public to beware of fraudulent organizations falsely claiming to be charities or nonprofits aiding fire victims.
Scammers have at times targeted elderly individuals, immigrants and non-English speakers, Bonta said.
In some cases, he added, the fraudulent organizations use names that sound misleadingly legitimate.